A senior executive with AIB who believes he is not guilty of any wrongdoing but is being "scapegoated" for overcharging by the Bank of its customers yesterday secured an interim High Court order restraining his dismissal as general manager of its Strategic Development Unit.
Seamus Sheerin, who has been suspended since May 2004, says he was told this week that he should be dismissed.
In an affidavit to the High Court, he said he believed he would suffer irreparable harm as a consequence of the bank's decision unless the courts intervened to protect him. He said the banking community was an extremely small community and he operated at a management level in the banking community where very few roles were available.
Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill was told Mr Sheerin (41) had been invited only late last year to apply for the position of chief executive with AIB, which position was filled last Thursday.
On that same day, he said AIB had indicated to him that he had a right of appeal against its decision to dismiss him.
In his affidavit, Mr Sheerin said none of the matters in which he had been involved were of such a nature as to merit the sanction now being visited on him.
In circumstances where he simply inherited the problem and in liaison with others was engaged in managing it, it was utterly perverse that he be subjected to any sanction all, he said. "The very finding of wrongdoing against me is sufficient to give rise to a damage to my reputation in the banking community which would result in the most irreparable harm imaginable to somebody in my position," Mr Sheerin said.
On the application of Roddy Horan SC, with Michael Howard, for Mr Sheerin, the judge granted a temporary injunction returnable to Monday next restraining the dismissal of Mr Sheerin.
The injunction application was made on an ex parte basis.